1837. 



NEW ENGLAND PARMER. 



323 



CURIOUS RESEMBLANCES IN NATURE. 



Among the means of protection which nature 

 has bestowed upon animals, one of the most uni- 

 versal and curious is the adaptation of the color of 

 the creature to its haunts. Throughout the animal 

 creation, from the elephant to the tiniest insect, we 

 observe this law in operation, with but here and 

 there an exception. These deceptive resemblances 

 between animate and inanimate nature must have 

 often struck even the careless observer ; but there 

 are those, probably, who have no idea of the ex- 

 tent to which this law prevails, and who have nev- 

 er reflected upon the evidence it furnishes of crea- 

 tive wisdom and goodness. 



Every one who has a fruit tree or a flowering 

 shrub to look after, has noticed how the color of 

 the insects which infest it contribute to their con- 

 cealment. As Dr. Holmes happily expresses it — 



"When the first larvaj on the elm are seen, 



The crawling wretches, like its leaves, are green ; 



Ere chill October shakes the latest down, 



They, like the foliage, change their tint to brown ; 



On the blue flower a bluer flower you spy. 



You stretch to pluck it, 'tis a butterfly ; 



The flattered tree-toads so resemble bark, 



They're hard to find as Ethiops in the dark ; 



The woodcock, stiffening to fictitious mud. 



Cheats the young sportsman, thirsting for his blood." 



In the case of the caterpillar, the resemblance 

 extends even to the eggs from which they proceed, 

 the clusters of which are covered with a substance 

 harmonizing in color so closely with the twigs to 

 which they are attached, that it often requires 

 sharp eyes to detect them. As long as it remains 

 still, how difficult it is to distinguish a grasshop- 

 per or young locust from the herbage or leaf on 

 which it rests. Throughout sandy districts varie- 

 ties of insects are met with of a color similar to the 

 sand which they inhabit ; while, closely adhering 

 to the rough gray bark of forest trees, we observe 

 grayish moths of various patterns, yet altogether so 

 resembling the bark as to be invisible to the pass- 

 ing observer. The noisy katy-did, though often 

 heard, is seldom seen, so easily does its color ena- 

 ble it to conceal itself beneath the leaves of trees 

 and shrubs. 



We trace this same law of resemblance among 

 the reptile tribes. Frogs even vary their color ac- 

 cording to that of the mud or sand that forms the 

 bottom of the ]ionds or streams which they frequent ; 

 and the tree-frog, to which Dr. Holmes alludes, 

 takes its specific name from the color which ren- 

 ders it so difficult to see among the leaves where it 

 adheres, by the cupping-glass-like processes at the 

 end of its toes. Snakes usually resemble in color 

 the grass, roots or earth where they make their 

 haunts, and we do not discover them until they 

 glide away, or erect themselves, or sound their 

 warning rattle. Turtles and lizards enjoy a simi- 

 lar immunity from danger, and the alligator trans- 



forms itself into a very good representation of a 

 log, and floats securely upon the water. 



The same is true of birds. "The small birds 

 which frequent hedges," says the Note-Book of a Na- 

 turalist, "have backs of a greenish or brownish green 

 hue, and their bellies are generally whitish, or light 

 colored, so as to harmonize with the sky. Thus 

 they become less visible to the hawk or cat that 

 passes above or below them. The wayfarer across 

 the fields almost treads upon the skylark before he 

 sees it rise warbling to heaven's gate. The gold- 

 finch or thistlefinch passes much of its lime among 

 flowers, and is vividly colored accordingly. The 

 partridge can hardly be distinguished from the fal- 

 low or stubble among which it crouches." The 

 prairie hen so closely resembles the turf in which 

 it hides, that the sportsman can seldom detect it by 

 the eye, and sometimes actually treads upon the 

 game before he discovers it. 



It is the same with fish, especially those that in- 

 habit fresh water. Says the writer above quoted : 

 "Their backs, with the exception of gold and silver 

 fish, are comparatively dark ; and some practice is 

 required before they are satisfactorily made out, as 

 they come like shadows, and so depart, under the 

 eye of the spectator. A little boy once called out 

 to a friend to 'come and see, for the bottom of the 

 brook was moving along.' The friend came, and 

 saw that a thick shoal of gudgeons, roach and 

 dace was passing. It is difficult to detect 'the rav- 

 enous luce,' as old Izaak calls the pike, with its dark 

 green and mottled back and sides, from the simi- 

 larly-tinted weeds among which that fresh water 

 shark lies on the watch, as motionless as they. 

 Even when a tearing old trout, a six or seven 

 pounder, sails in his wantonness, leisurely up stream, 

 with his back fin partly above the surface, on the 

 look out for a fly, few, except a well-entered fisher- 

 man, can tell what shadowy form it is that ripples 

 the wimpling water. But the bellies of fish are 

 white, or nearly so ; thus imitating in a degree 

 the color of the sky, to deceive the otter, which 

 generally takes its prey from below, swimming un- 

 der the intended victim." 



Among quadrupeds we find many similar exam- 

 ples. Every country boy knows how difficult it is 

 to distinguish the grey squirrel from the branches 

 of the hoary trees among which he hides. It is 

 an accomplishment among sportmen to have a 

 good eye for finding a hare sitting. In northern 

 countries, the winter dress of the hare is white, to 

 prevent destruction among the snows of those in- 

 clement regions. The polar bear also rejoices in 

 the snowy coat, which distinguishes, summer and 

 winter, the ledges, the cliffs and the fields of the 

 region he inhabits. "Even in the case of the stu- 

 pendous elephant," says an observing traveller, 

 "the ashy color of his hide so corresponds with the 

 general appearance of the gray, thorny jungles 



